St. John's Lurgan

Why didn’t Jesus come down from the cross? In this Good Friday reflection, we explore the contrasts our desire for self-preservation with Christ’s self-sacrifice. Like the thief who simply trusted, we’re reminded that our hope rests not in what we can do - but in the man on the middle cross who chose to stay, so that we could be saved.

On Palm Sunday, the crowds welcomed Jesus as King - but they misunderstood who He truly was. In this talk, Raymond explores the surprising nature of Jesus’ kingship. He is a King who comes not in power and spectacle, but in humility and sacrifice. The crowd didn't understand this, the disciples didn't understand this. For Jesus did not act in the ways they wished. So then as now, Jesus is...

This talk unpacks Romans 8:18–30 and the deep assurance that God is at work in every moment of our lives. Confronting common myths about pain, it reveals how even life’s hardest seasons are not wasted - but are shaping us into the likeness of Christ. For even in our suffering we can trust that God holds us and gives us a hope that is truly relentless.

In this Mother’s Day message from 1 Samuel 1:1–20, we step into the heartfelt story of Hannah. She was a woman who knew deep sorrow, longing, and unanswered prayer. Yet in the midst of her pain, Hannah turns to God with honest, desperate prayer and discovers that the Lord hears and remembers His people. We see in Hannah the power of persistent prayer, the faith of mothers who cry out to God for th...

Ruth shares from Mark exploring the beauty of relentless devotion. In this passage, a woman pours out costly perfume on Jesus, showing that true worship holds nothing back because when we see the worth of Christ, extravagant love becomes the only fitting response.

In this talk from Luke 18:1-8, Raymond explores Jesus’ call to relentless prayer. Through the parable of the persistent widow, we’re reminded that prayer is not about wearing God down, but about trusting the Father who listens, cares, and acts. This message invites us to rediscover prayer not as a last resort, but as our first response - shaped by confidence in who God is and faith in the differen...

In this all-age talk, we explore God’s big promise through the story of Noah. Facing the seriousness of sin and God’s grief over a broken world, we’re reminded that God’s judgement is never the end of the story. The rainbow points us forward to the cross, where Jesus becomes our true ark — taking judgement upon Himself so that we might find forgiveness, safety, and new life.

In this Ash Wednesday message, we explore how Jesus’ victory over temptation in the wilderness flows from wholehearted surrender to the will and word of God. Drawing on Matthew 4:1–11, we see that temptation is a real and universal fight - even for Jesus. But that true strength is found not in control or self-reliance, but in trusting God’s provision, protection, and plan. By resisting Satan with...

Hazel shares who the Israelites only had veiled access to God's presence and how this was fulfilled by Jesus, who upon his death on the cross, the curtain was forever torn.

In this talk from Deuteronomy 30:11–20, we explore Moses’ final, heartfelt call to God’s people: choose life. As Israel stands on the edge of the Promised Land, Moses reminds them that God’s will is not hidden or complicated - it is near, clear, and personal. Every choice we make carries a direction, leading either toward life and blessing or away from God and into loss. Ultimately, this passage p...

In this talk we explore Moses’ bold cry, “Show me your glory,” and discover why God’s presence - not power, success, or blessing - is what truly defines us. From the weight of God’s holiness to the beauty of His goodness revealed fully in Jesus, this message calls us beyond settling for religion without relationship. A stirring invitation to hunger again for God’s glory, to seek not what He gives,...

The story of Cain and Abel shows us the danger of unchecked anger. What begins as jealousy in the heart slowly grows into violence, showing how sin “crouches at the door,” waiting to capture our lives if left unchallenged. We see here that God isn’t impressed by what’s in our hands, but cares deeply about what’s in our hearts. Ultimately, it points us to the hope of the gospel: while Abel’s blood...

Numbers 21 powerfully shows us how human grumbling meets God’s judgment — and how grace breaks in through the bronze serpent, pointing us to Christ who heals and saves all who look to Him.

A searching look at Exodus 32, exposing the fickle love of the human heart, the jealous love of a holy God, and the saving love of Jesus — who shatters our idols not to destroy us, but to save us.

In this passage we encounter one of the most extraordinary scenes in the Bible — ordinary people eating and drinking in the presence of the living God. This level of intimacy is the deepest longing of the human heart. What we discover is to have this intimacy, God's people need to be committed to His covenant, cleansed by sacrificial blood, and commune with Him and with His people. But ultimat...

A hope-filled Advent message from Luke 2:8-20, revealing the scandal of God’s love as the good news of Jesus is first announced to unlikely shepherds, inviting us to stop striving, come close, and be transformed by receiving - not performing for - His love.

An Advent message exploring why Elizabeth calls the unborn Jesus “my Lord,” which invites us to welcome the incarnate Son of God and surrender every part of life to His loving lordship.

A short reflection for our Family Nativity Service on Luke 1:26-37, celebrating Mary’s “yes” to God and the surprising hope of Christmas.

Mark Wells from Bible Society NI gives an update on the work of Bible society locally and globally.

Exodus 19 shows Israel preparing to encounter the God who is holy. God brings His people to Sinai and invites them into covenant, but they must consecrate themselves because His presence is pure, powerful, and unapproachable on their own. However, in Jesus, the true Mediator, the holy God still calls us close, but now the barriers are removed. Through Christ’s blood we come not trembling at a dist...

On this Remembrance Sunday, we look to Revelation 21:1–7 and the sure hope of heaven — our true home, our deep healing, and our lasting hope. One day, the God who entered our suffering will wipe every tear, heal every wound, and make all things new. Until then, we remember the fallen, comfort the broken, and hold on to the hope that everything sad will come untrue in Jesus Christ.

In this message we explore how God meets us in life’s toughest moments. From Israel’s journey in Exodus 15-17, we see three desert experiences — bitterness, lack, and dissatisfaction — met by three revelations of God: He is our Healer, our Provider, and our Satisfaction. Rather than grumbling in hardship, we are invited to turn to God, who heals what’s bitter, provides what we lack, and satisfies...

When the Israelites found themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, it looked like the end. But God was setting the stage for His glory and their deliverance. In this episode, we explore how God leads us through impossible situations - not around them - and how Jesus, our ultimate Mediator, opens a way through judgment, fear, and death into freedom and life. Whatever you’re facing...

Exodus 12 tells one of the most pivotal moments in all of Scripture — the night of the Passover. After nine devastating plagues, Pharaoh’s heart remains hard, and so God announces a final act of judgment: the death of every firstborn in Egypt. But in the midst of judgment, God reveals Himself as the God of grace. He gives His people a way of salvation — a lamb without blemish, whose blood is paint...

In this message, we meet the God who is more than enough. Moses feels deeply inadequate - too old, too weak, too poor a speaker. But God doesn’t reassure him by saying, “You’ve got this.” He says, “I’ve got you.” Our inadequacy becomes the platform for God’s sufficiency. Then in the tough times, when Pharaoh makes life harder and Moses wonders if it’s even worth obeying, God reminds him: “I am the...